I wanted to love this book but found parts very tedious. The build is slow going. I did feel for many of the characters especially as kids. And I was horrified by some treatment of especially the women (who are told to smoke during pregnancy). I wish there was more editing and I’m not sure this needed to be almost 600 pages. That said as a debut it’s impressive and I’d be interested in what this author does next.

The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn is an impressive debut.

This book is about several things, but most importantly the family connections between siblings Cristabel, Flossie, and Digby. Judging by the description, I thought we were going to get a lot of action in this book but the plot is a slow burn all the way through. In fact, the description of the book starts with a whale washing up on the shore that the siblings turn into a theater, but this doesn't even happen until about 30 - 40% into the story. Most of the book's "action" takes place in the last 20% if you are still there to witness it.

I was borderline on whether or not I would finish this book but ultimately am glad I did. This bulk of the novel is setting and character with plot taking the back burner. The descriptive settings were beautiful but at times I wanted to get on with the story and did a good amount of skimming. A major reason why I read the story through to the end is because I liked the characters. I liked how these three loosely related siblings had such a strong bond despite their parentage.

Later on in the book when each of the siblings joins the war front in their own way we lose track of Digby. It makes sense because he goes missing but I would have liked the story to follow him a long a little bit more and it would have made things more connected in the end.

Overall I would rate this book 5 stars for setting, 4 stars for characters, and 3 stars for plot. It's a thick story that requires patience but I think some readers will appreciate the underlying heart.

Delighted to include this ravishing debut in the October instalment of Novel Encounters, my regular column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

Quinn’s book is a hefty tome reminiscent of Gabaldon’s Outlander series in scope and breadth. That said, the subject matter is entirely different, but no less mesmerizing. The story revolves around the life of Christabel Seagrove beginning in 1920 when she’s a toddler and following her through the end of World War II, where she become a Land Girl. The unusual title refers to the skeleton of a whale exposed on the beach that becomes the backdrop of a children’s theater that Christabel and a visiting artist create, which later becomes the site of their World War II Victory garden and then to the tattered remnants of her family. This book requires patience, the beginning is a bit slow, but I loved Quinn’s use of language. she paints portraits with her words and they are beautiful

The pacing of this story was a bit slow for my taste and the character development wasn't as...I just felt that it was a cool concept but more of a fleeting glimpse into something rather than a full story. I might not have been in the mood for a story like this presently, but it was an entertaining read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have heard SUCH rave reviews of Whalebone Theatre and I was over the moon to receive an advanced copy. It was longer than I thought, but worth it as I really did enjoy this book. It’s set in England (my absolute favorite) and follows along the lives of 3 children of the Chilcombe Estate. This is not a quick read and is heavily focused on character development throughout the years but the writing is exquisite and makes you yearn for childhood. My only wish is that the Whalebone Theatre were a real place to visit.

This is a well-written book. I enjoyed all the characters and plot until WWII started. Stories about WWII just aren’t for me.

I had a hard time getting into this book at first but then it made sense. It is written in acts and you experience life in the different acts of Cristabel Seagrave from the 1920s to the 1940s and how people coped and overcame experiences and major life changes. It is connected through the whalebones throughout the story and is a journey that draws you into the children's imaginations and the reality of war.

A charming and multi layered tale of a young girl who feels invisible until she finds the body of a washed up whale and incorporates the bones into a community theatre. Cristabel and her siblings learn about life through the eyes and drunken musings of her step mother and the eclectic group of artist houseguests. She and her brother Digby take this knowledge and put it to good use as British spies during WWII. An imaginative tale that pays tribute to and condemns the lack of the usual British upper class upbringing. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

One of my favorite topics, in fiction and non-fiction, is Europe between the wars and into World War II. Naturally, I jumped on this book, which follows Christabel Seagrove from toddler to veteran of WW2, having worked as a secret agent in France.

Though Christabel is the main focus of the book, there is a huge cast, including her half-sister Flossie, cousin (but effectively brother) Digby, her father, stepmother, uncle Willoughby, longtime servants, and the bohemian group that spends a summer living in the cottage near the family’s estate, Chilcombe, on the English southwest coast. Then, as we move from Christabel’s childhood to the war years, there are her fellow agents and those she meets in the field, the German POW who works for Flossie at Chilcombe, the various servicemen Flossie interacts with, and so on.

There is a lot of promise in this book, but it could use tightening up, and a more prominent thematic link for the whalebone theater throughout the story. Some better fleshing out of the main characters would help, too. The story would have been stronger with less time spent on the childhood years and more on the adult years. The first 40% of the book is a bit of a slog, with a lot of emphasis on Christabel’s stepmother and uncle, who just aren’t that interesting and who aren’t a factor for the rest of the book.

The story definitely has its moments, so it’s worth reading despite its flaws. I could definitely see it being made into a miniseries.

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

I'll admit when I realized that this book was nearly 600 pages, I had second thoughts about taking it on. That's a lot to ask of anyone, but the premise was interesting enough to push past my reservations and see what Quinn had to offer in her debut. The story spans two decades of a landed family in England, from the 1920s to post-WWII. There was a lot going on, but the story was slow to grab me and make me want to keep reading. The characters needed more flesh while at the same time the story on the whole needed a fair amount of slimming down. The research was excellent, and Quinn is clearly a good writer, but this story needed a judicious amount of red pen to make it more engaging. There were also a fair amount of editing issues which kept pulling me out of the story which are not the fault of the author as far as I can tell.

My thanks to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There are scenes in this book that will stick with me for a long time…. Images that are crystal clear. This book is very long, but in a good way. It’s not fast-paced, but it kept me coming back to see what happened next.

The book spans decades. It covers the time period leading up to WWI and concludes after WWII. It mostly follows one spunky little girl who grows up in a world where hard decisions have to be made. Interludes in her story follow some of her family members, and the lens is brutally honest.

This is a story about hope and hardship and following your dreams, however fleeting. There are pieces of love but mostly I think people are just trying to endure, and sometimes that looks like sharing quiet moments.

Also, there are spies.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a lengthy book that followed Cristabel Seagrave from the age of three in 1920 through WWII. Cristabel does not fit into the mold of females of the era. Her stepmother is not much of a mother to any of the three children under her care. She calls her daughter Flossie “Veg.” She prefers Digby, the heir. However, all three children are neglected and allowed to run wild. As the story progresses, slowly at times, the three put on p,and in the theater they created inside the bones of a whale. Their imaginative, self-reliant childhoods prepare them for their roles in WWII. Detailed and atmospheric, this book will appeal to readers who appreciate a deep story with complex characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Joanna Quinn presents a story in five acts that follows the life of Cristabel Seagrave, introducing her as a three year old in 1920 and following her through WWII. An orphan, she lives with her stepmother’s family on the Seagrave estate. In the second act she is twelve years old. Accompanied by her half-sister Florence and her cousin Digby, the children find a whale on their beach. Cristabel has always been adventurous with a child’s imagination and claims the whale. When an artist moves into a cottage on the estate, Cristabel plans with him to put on plays with the artist providing scenery. It is the whale that becomes a showpiece as its’ skeleton is exposed and becomes the frame of the theater. With the artist’s children, the estate’s staff and guests playing parts it attracts the local villagers, but when word spreads the theater attracts an audience from growing distances. The theater plays a major part in the children’s lives as they grow until war brings an end to life as they know it.

By the third act Digby has enlisted and experienced the horror of Dunkirk. Cristabel has acquired a position with the War Office and Florence has become a Land Girl. The whalebone theater now contains a garden of vegetables to supplement food rations. When Digby is trained and sent to France to aid the resistance, Cristabel pursues a similar path. Fluent in French and German, she becomes a courier in France, where her experience with the theater helps her to survive.

Quinn follows the lives of the Seagrave children through the war. Florence grew up being called Veg by her mother and never feeling that she could succeed. Having to run the estate in the absence of Digby and Cristabel, she learns how capable she is of controlling her life. Digby was always praised by his mother but pushed by his father to give up the theater. It takes his wartime experience to accept who he really is. Cristabel has always been independent and has a strong connection to Digby, the brother she always wanted. When tragedy strikes she must find an inner strength to carry on. Through it all they are connected to their theater of bones. From the imaginary play of children to the horrors of war, this is an emotional journey that you will hate to see end. I would like to thank NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for providing this book for my review.

It was ... tedious. I liked the premise. I liked Cristabel, but the rest of the characters were either utterly unlikeable or not fully developed. And it moved so slowly I kept wanting for *something* to happen. And I kept thinking, "Maybe tomorrow. Maybe I am just tired."

I love reading stories that take place in England between the two world wars. Life kind of goes back to the way it was before World War I, but there are subtle ways that you can sense that more major changes are on the way. This novel starts at that point with the very dysfunctional Seagrove family. The story centers mostly on the three children, Christabel, Flossie, and Digby. They are all sympathetic characters, but I definitely loved Christabel. She is a strong minded child, who grows into a strong woman. The story moves along more quickly as World War II starts. Christabel and Digby become part of the secret war, going into Occupied France to get information in and out that can help the Allies. I think the story rambled on a bit too much and at points, there was a too much use of figurative language, but all in all it was a good story worth reading.

I love the range and depth of the story-- remarkable descriptions! The characters and choice are vivid and clear, and the prose was engaging.

The "go to" novel for readers of historical fiction this fall. It's a long narrative with detailed, whimsical descriptions of landscape and people in the tradition of Rosamund Pilcher perhaps. Settle in a comfortable chair on a rainy day and forget about the world around you.

Christabel, Flossie, and Digby, raised as but not entirely siblings, grow up on a slightly shabby estate in Dorset where they put on Shakespeare plays in a theater made of the bones of a whale which washed up on the beach in 1928. Set both between the wars and during WWII, this is their story and it's largely told by Christa and Flossie, very different young women. The children are almost feral, with the girls educated by a governess and Digby's tutor (and they live in the attic). Friends of the family-a Russian artist, his wife, his children, his mistresses, a Colonel, an American-live on the estate and figure throughout. It's all somewhat idyllic until WWII, when Digby enlists and Christa volunteers, leaving Flossie to run things at home. Both Digby and Christa find themselves in the SOE and these sections are the most gripping. This is an unusual novel- it's written very much like novels of an earlier age with major events happening in an understated way. I'll admit I almost put it aside because I was tired of the childhood theatricals and honestly couldn't visualize the whale, but I'm very glad I didn't. There are scenes that linger, scenes that are poignant and scenes that are tough, and scenes that are sweet. This takes a bit of patience but it's very much worthy your time. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An excellent read.

This book was beautifully written, but got so caught up in being literary that it got a bit boring at times. That's really all I can think to say about it. It covered so many tropes: seeing the world as a child and a bildungsroman for all three children, surviving a war, finding your place, and the place of theater in the world. I feel as though it tried to do too much at once by trying to focus on all of these themes.